Pump impeller and reaction-type spray device having an inlet disposed in the same plane



April 4, 1967 T; E. JENKINS 3,312,232

PUMP IMPELLER AND REACTION-TYPE SPRAY DEVICE HAVING AN INLET DISPOSED IN SAME PLANE Filed Jan. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F G. INVENTOR.

THOMAS E. IENKWS- x-us ATTORNEY I Filed Jan. 7 22, 1965 April 4, 1967 T. E. JENKINS 3,312,232

PUMP IMPELLER AND REACTION-TYPE SPRAY DEVICE HAVING AN INLET DISPOSED IN THE SAME PLANE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tri 1E INVENTOR. THOMAS E. IS'ENKI NS H l S ATToRMEY United States Patent Q PUMP IMPELLER AND REACTION-TYPE SPRAY DEVICE HAVING AN INLET DISPOSED IN THE SAME PLANE Thomas E. Jenkins, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,271 4 Claims. (Cl. 134-176) This invention relates generally to automatic dishwashers and, more specifically, to an improved pump and spray mechanism for use in such dishwashers.

As is the case with virtually any home appliance, which must face competition in the market place, cost reduction in the manufacture of an automatic dishwasher is desirable. However, since a dishwashers ability to thoroughly cleanse the dishes Washed therein is even more desirable, cost reduction must not require the sacrifice of Washability. Accordingly, an improvement in a dishwasher structure which reduces cost but does not affect the dishwashers ability to thoroughly cleanse dishes is especially desirable. Moreover, capacity of a dishwasher, that is, the number of dishes which a dishwasher will hold at one time, is also an important factor taken into consideration by a potential purchaser as the purchaser compares two or more competitive machines. Therefore, as with cost reduction and washability, increased capacity is quite desirable in an automatic dishwasher.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved pump and spray mechanism for an automatic dishwasher.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pump and spray mechanism for an automatic dishwasher which results in substantial cost reduction over more conventional mechanisms of a like nature.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a pump and spray mechanism for an automatic dishwasher which allows increased capacity within the wash chamber of the dishwasher.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided in an automatic dishwasher a pump and spray mechanism including a housing with a rotatable shaft means disposed therein. Impeller means are carried by the shaft for rotation therewith and a reaction type spray device is rotatably supported from the housing and has an inlet disposed radially outward therefrom, and in substantially the same plane as, the impeller. The impeller functions as a centrifugal pump and, because the spray device is disposed in substantially the same plane as the impeller, the rotatable spray device serves as the same function as the normal volute which is required in a conventional centrifugal pump. Moreover, because the spray device is positioned in the plane of the impeller, it is positioned lower than a standard arrangement involving an axial flow pump. Therefore,

the absence of the volute and the lowering of the spray device serve to achieve cost reduction and increased capacity over more conventional pump and spray mechanisms for dishwashers.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away and partially in cross section, of an automatic dishwasher incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, partially broken away and partially in cross section, of the pump and spray mechanism embodying the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, there is illustrated a portable automatic dishwasher 10 having an -outer cabinet 11 which defines therein a wash chamber 12. Disposed within wash chamber 12 are dish supporting racks 1.3 and 14 which are adapted to support dishes while they are being Washed by dishwasher 10. Access is provided to wash chamber 12 by means of a closure member or door 15 pivotally secured to cabinet 11 by means of a hinge member '16. Dishwasher 16 may be the portable type and, if so, may be provided with rollers 17 interconnected to cabinet 11 by a member 18. A handle is may also be provided to facilitate the movement of dishwasher 10.

The lower extremity of wash chamber 12 is defined by a bottom wall 20 which has a centrally depressed portion forming a sump 21. Centrally disposed within sump 2'1 and supported by bottom wall 20 is a motorpump assembly 22. Motor-pump assembly 22 includes a reversible electric motor 23 and a pump 24 directly mechanically linked to the mot-or 23. Pump 24 will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. Rotatably supported atop pump 24 is a main spray device in the form of a reaction type spray arm 25 having therein a pluarlity of orifices 26 which create a wash action within wash chamber 12 when was-h fluid is propelled there-through by pump 24. An electrical resistance heating element 30 is supported from bottom wall 20 and is utilized to heat wash fluid within wash chamber 12 and/or to facilitate the drying of dishware supported by racks 13 and 14 upon the completion of a washing cycle. It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing description of the dishwasher illustrated in FIGURE 1 is of a general nature and should not be considered critical to the present invention.

Referring now primarily to FIGURE 2, a more detailed description of the motor-pump assembly 22 and its operation will be given. In the embodiment illustrated, pump 24 includes two impellers 31 and 32. Impeller 3-1 is adapted to withdraw wash fluid from sump 21 through an annular inlet 36 and propel the fluid into spray arm 25 from which it issues into wash chamber 12 to effect a washing action. Impeller 32, on the other hand, is adapted to withdraw wash fluid from sump 21 through inlet 33a, through opening 34 which surrounds the lower portion of impeller 31, and then out through a discharge conduit 35 (FIGURE 1) which communicates with a conventional household sewer system (not shown).

As mentioned earlier, motor 23 is of the electrically reversible type and impellers 3'1 and 3-2 are arranged such that, in one direction of rotation of motor 2 3, impeller 31 functions as described above while, in the other direction of rotation of motor 23, impeller 32 functions as discussed above. Therefore, when impeller 31 is etfectuating a wash action within wash chamber 1 2, impeller 32, though rotating, is ineffective' Similarly, when mot-or 23 operates in the opposite direction of rotation, impeller 32 operates to drain the Wash fluid from wash 3 chamber 12 and impeller 31, though rotating, is ineffective.

Structures of the general nature of that just described regarding the motor-pump assembly 22, are common and have heretofore been employed in dishwashers. For example, U.S. Patent 3,084,701, issued to A. L. Hardy et al. on Apr. 9, 1963, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention, discloses a motor-pump assembly having generally the same basic structure and mode of operation as that discussed thus far with regard to the present invention. However, it is to be noted that the pump in Patent 3,084,701 is an axialflow pump and therefore requires an elongated vertical dimension which results in substantially more consumption of space in the wash chamber than that of the present invention.

Referring again to FIGURE 2, and also to FIGURE 3, impeller 31 includes an elongated stem portion 36 which is secured to a shaft 37 extending upwardly from motor 23 in a manner whereby impeller 31 rotates with shaft 37. The upper portion of impeller 31 flares outwardly and includes a plurality of individual impeller vanes 38. Vanes 38 are configurated such that when impeller 31 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 3, the wash fluid will be propelled outwardly due to the centrifugal forces created by the vanes. The fluid, as it leaves vanes 38, directly enters spray arm 25. Because spray arm 25 is free to rotate, the spray arm itself serves as the volute which is normally associated with a centrifugal pump.

A plurality of posts 3% are rigidly secured to the upper portion of the housing 3% of pump 24 and extend upwardly therefrom. A plate 40 is rigidly secured to the upper ends of posts 39 and has a central aperture therethrough which receives a bolt 41. A collar 42 is disposed about bolt 41 and serves as a spacer so that a nut 43 may be fastened down tight against the collar 42 to prevent bolt 41 from escaping while at the same time preventing a rigid connection between spray arm 25 and plate 40. A bearing 44 is disposed between nut 43 and collar 42 and may be constructed from any suitable material such as, for example, nylon or other low friction plastic. As impeller 31 rotates to pump wash fluid, the pressure created within spray arm 25 due to the restriction of orifices 26, causes spray arm 25 to rise slightly until its top surface comes into engagement with bearing 44 whereupon spray arm 25 rotates about bearing 24 due to the reaction force of the fluid passing through orifices 2:6. It is to be understood that one or more of orifices 26 are positioned in an angular relationship with the longitudinal axis of spray arm 25 so that the reaction force creates a rotation of spray arm 25.

A bafile 45 may be provided within pump 24 and, if so, may be molded integrally with gussets 46 which form a part of the housing 39a of pump 24. It is to be understood, that gussets 4d consume only a very small portion of the peripheral surface of the housing 39a of pump 24 so that fluid may pass between the individual gussets 46 to reach inlets 33 and 33a. Bafile 45, if provided, serves primarily to assist in directing the wash fluid toward vanes 38 when impeller 31 is pumping.

It should be obvious from the foregoing description that the present invention provides greater capacity within wash chamber 12 than within conventional dishwashers since the axial or vertical dimension of pump 24 is considerably less than dishwasher pumps heretofore available. Because of this decreased vertical length, spray arm 25 is positioned lower than in dishwashers heretofore available therefore allowing rack 13 to be lowered, which in turn allows utensils of greater heights to be placed within rack 13 without interfering with rack 14. Such decreased vertical lengths of the pump may be achieved with a standard centrifugal pump; however, such a standdard centrifugal pump would include a volute not required by the present invention.

ber and, at the same time, a significant cost savings without sacrifice of the performance of the dishwasher.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and it is contemplated that various other modifications or applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pump and spray mechanism for use in an automatic dishwasher having a wash chamber with means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed comprising:

(=a) a housing having a generally annular inlet,

(b) rotatable shaft means disposed within said housing,

(c) impeller means carried by said shaft for rotation therewith, and

(d) a spray device rotatably supported from said housing and having an inlet disposed radially outward from, and in substantially the same plane as, said impeller,

(e) said spray device having a plurality of orifices directed toward the means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed.

2. A pump and spray mechanism for use in an automatic dishwasher having a wash chamber with means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed comprising:

(a) a housing having a generally annular inlet,

(b) rotatable shaft means disposed within said housing,

(0) impeller means carried by said shaft for rotation therewith, and

(d) a reaction-type spray device rotatably supported from said housing and having an inlet disposed radially outward from, and in substantially the same plane as, said impeller,

(e) said spray device having a plurality of orifices directed toward the means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed.

3. A pump and spray mechanism for use in an automatic dishwasher having a wash chamber with means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed comprising:

(a) a housing having a generally annular inlet,

(b) rotatable shaft means disposed within said housing,

(0) centrifugal impeller means carried by said shaft for rotation therewith,

(d) a reaction-type spray device rotatably supported from said housing and having an inlet disposed radially outward from, and in substantially the same plane as, said impeller, and

(c) said spray device having a plurality of orifices directed toward the means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed.

4. A pump and spray mechanism for use in an automatic dishwasher having a wash chamber with means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed comprising:

(a) a housing having a generally annular inlet,

(b) rotatable shaft means disposed within said housing,

(0) centrifugal impeller means carried by said shaft for rotation therewith, and

(d) bearing means supported from said housing above said impeller,

(e) a reaction-type spray device rotatably supported from said bearing and having an inlet disposed radially outward from, and in substantially the same plane as, said impeller,

(I) said Spray device having a plurality of orifices di- Therefore, the present invention provides increased capacity of the wash chamrected toward the means adapted to receive and support articles to be washed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Pennington et a1. 239-251 X Perl 239252 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1953 France.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

VAN C. WHsKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PUMP AND SPRAY MECHANISM FOR USE IN AN AUTOMATIC DISHWATER HAVING A WASH CHAMBER WITH MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT ARTICLES TO BE WASHED COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A GENERALLY ANNULAR INLET, (B) ROTATABLE SHAFT MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, (C) IMPELLER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, AND (D) A SPRAY DEVICE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN INLET DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM, AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AS, SAID IMPELLER, (E) SAID SPRAY DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES DIRECTED TOWARD THE MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT ARTICLES TO BE WASHED. 